Photographing a couple from up close can drastically change the way your image feels. Getting up close with a wide angle lens creates a sense of action and aliveness that draws the viewer in.
When we think of family portraits, we often picture the traditional looks: everyone lined up, smiling, and well dressed. Family lifestyle photography, on the other hand, shines a new light on family portraiture. Rather than posing everybody perfectly, lifestyle captures the personality and dynamics of the family. The spontaneity is a great addition to a complete family album. Let's begin by seeing how the two styles differ.
This video is a sneak peek into SLR Lounge Premium Library with a chapter from our new course, Family Photography 101. This is a complete course on capturing memorable and unique family portraits. In this video, I had Shivani with me as we compared family lifestyle photography with traditional portraits.
What makes a good lifestyle photo? Lifestyle photography has a specific charm to its viewers. Effective photographs allow the viewers to relate and catch a glimpse of what the subjects represent. There are, however, certain challenges that make the process a little bit harder.
Since the dawn of reality television, we've seen a plethora of professions and niche topics covered. That said, there have been very few photography-focused spinoffs of the reality genre. Photo Challenge Show aims to take a step in changing that.
There are a bunch of different ways to make your photos stand out: great light, gorgeous model, amazing locations, idealized retouching, but one that is often overlooked in favor of these less subtle approaches is color. We photographers tend to schedule a shoot, show up, capture what's there, and pat ourselves on the back for our genius, but what goes into the shoot before we schedule it can be just as important to the end result as what we do with our lights or our camera. Let's look at an example from my work for Lifetime. No lights. No reflectors. Just color.
Do you think bracketing is necessary in today's world, where cameras are so sophisticated and post-production software so advanced? Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, seeing how bracketing is used here will almost certainly spike your creative ideas.
Are you starting to book in clients for when the lockdown restrictions are lifted? Why not give your posing technique a quick refresh before photographing people again?
Viral sensation, Jordi Koalitic, is back with some more unique photography concepts for you to try, and as always, they're pretty damn good.
Many of us are struggling to come up with ideas for photos while stuck in the house, so any suggestions are warmly welcomed!
Everyone is dealing with this new normal in different ways. A lot of people have been finding all sorts of creative ways to keep themselves busy. Not wanting to be outdone, photographers all over have been sharing amazing and humorous photos often shot within their homes.
Are you catching up on your editing backlog? Before you start doing any work on your next gallery, take a look at these tips for creating the best possible result in your post-processing.
You may be a wedding photographer thinking of ways to secure additional future jobs, or you might simply want to focus on doing a wider variety of shoots other than just weddings. So, in what ways can you branch out?
Every year, we see different photography trends arise. This year, we're seeing something new: portrait sessions of families posing in front of their homes, smiling at the safely distanced photographer. But, is this a wise move of documenting social history or a risk that is not worth taking?
How are you keeping your creative juices flowing during the quarantine? Are you finding yourself in an endless loop of switching between social media apps, convincing yourself to do work, only to be left in front of the fridge for unnecessary snacking? Keep your skills sharp with some photography challenges! Ted Forbes of The Art of Photography posed the first part of many photography challenges to his 600k+ subscribers during the quarantine.
A world impacted by the deadly coronavirus is undoubtedly an eerie one. With everyone confined to their homes and only allowed limited trips to "essential businesses," photographers all over the world are venturing out and capturing their neighborhoods at their emptiest, from the busy streets of Times Square to desolate airports and makeshift temporary hospitals.
While strolling aimlessly along downtown streets this weekend, doing a bit of photography just for fun, I was reminded of one of the reasons I fell in love with photography in the first place. I was also reminded that this simple reason still provides benefits, both professionally and personally.
Real estate photography can be a profitable extension of your existing company, or you can become a specialist in the area. If you are just starting out, Brad Filliponi has a few tips to get you on the right track.
I've been looking at photo apps for the iPhone since the phone was first released in 2007. From the start, it was pretty clear Apple wasn't getting the most out of their own camera with the built-in app, and third parties rushed in. If you wanted to take serious photos, many of the apps were wanting, offering stickers and other features most pros would disdain. But not this app.
If you're tired of having people get in the way of a good photo, then this new iOS app called Bye Bye Camera may be for you.
What is Capture One Express? Simply put, it’s a totally free and simplified version of the Capture One editing software that still offers the same superior raw handling ability as the Pro version.
Just about anyone who has played with Photoshop a bit can learn about portrait retouching from YouTube, as there are tens of thousands of videos on there covering the many and varied methods involved in the process. But what about tutorials for photographers who are legitimately brand new to Photoshop, and have never used it?
While you are waiting for me to finish the video edit on our last Puerto Rican Photo Challenge, we have a new competition for you guys to judge. This time I take a back seat and let Lee Morris and Pye Jirsa of SLR Lounge battle head to head in the streets of Old San Juan.
A British photographer has been documenting New York City since the day she moved there. With her archive now including photos during all seasons and from both the street and the sky, we’re showcasing some of her best work.
The International Center of Photography in Manhattan, New York has displayed a new exibit reimaginging the work of Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms." The images are geared to display the diverse modern family compared to the orignal iconic work.
As the baby was crowning, Megan Mattiuzzo was clicking away. This might sound like a normal scene for most birth photographers out there, but Mattiuzzo was up against an extra layer of difficulty: she was photographing her own delivery.
These intensely raw and intimate photos are documented by professional birth photographers around the world. I sat moved almost to tears sifting through these beautiful images that so profoundly capture the miracle of life.
It’s something that seems almost too good to be true: a wealthy family in the UK is apparently searching for a photographer to tag along and document their vacations for £80,000 with all expenses paid. What’s the catch?
Every well-rounded photographer needs to be able to tell a story in three images or less. This is particularly important when shooting editorial content for online publications and in print magazines. On today's assignment, I explore three different focal lengths to capture a well-rounded story of a local musician.
No matter what camera you have, it will be missing some feature available on another brand or model. I found that with my Canon DSLR, and when I moved to a Sony a7 III, I gave up some good features and gained a few.
The mall, removed. The cheesy decor, gone. The long lines, nope. Santa Sessions have become all-the-rage and photographers are making these shoots more of a high end experience. I witnessed a shoot first hand and to be honest, $10k seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s what I learned.
As a photographer, I have many of my photos in people's homes, usually as metal prints, because people seem to prefer them. Like most of you, I've got a lot of my work scattered around my house too, either as framed or metal prints.
A chilly September morning. The crispness in the air added weight to the solemn moment. My composition was all figured out. I patiently waited for the final elements to come into place.
Children are notoriously hard to shoot and most photographers generally avoid doing shoots involving them. There are ways to make it easier though!
There never seems to be anything new or exciting to shoot around our hometowns. For me, it seems like I’ve photographed everything at least once if not twice by now. So what should we do? Perhaps taking some advice from a self-proclaimed advance selfie artist might help.
Traveling to create new photography can get expensive fast, but whether it's for personal work, stock, or your portfolio, it is often a necessary part of advancing your work. There are lots of ways to monetize these images and tricks to shoulder the upfront costs involved in creating them. This is the approach and tips I use to get the most out of my travel photography.
A recent trip down memory lane reminded me that sometimes the best place to look for something new, is a to remember something old.
Boudoir photography is not a new concept, however, the way in which it is viewed has changed drastically over the years. When it once was an art form on the female body, represented solely indoors in a bedroom, the title now has moved to include other versions. It could be argued that if it does not adhere to specific criteria, it cannot be called boudoir. In my opinion, the original term might just need to be evolved to include other concepts as the term among the majority of photographers in this genre refer to boudoir as more of a feeling than a location.
It is well known that if your client can hold the photograph, whether in an album or print, they are more likely to purchase it. They can feel it in a much more intimate way than just being on a computer screen. This idea was the very reason one photographer decided to step away from the traditional museum curation and create a pocket version that can be in the hands of art lovers everywhere.
While beautiful, classic family portraits will never go out of fashion, sometimes clients desire something that shows the fun, frivolous nature of their relationships with each other, as well as the lifestyles they love. A fun, outrageous portrait that shows the special family dynamic may be just what your clients are looking for.
Urban lifestyle photography has seen a surge in popularity in the last 10 years, particularly with the rise of Instagram. Here, COOPH give eight tips for improving your urban lifestyle shots.
On a multi-day assignment in Portland last week, I took advantage of my day off between assignments to experiment with the Sony a7R III and try it out in my normal workflow.
Lifestyle photography means different things to different types of photographers. Some might say photojournalism is the truest form of lifestyle photography. A portrait or wedding photographer would describe it as putting their subjects in real life situations and capturing almost candid moments. I shoot commercial and editorial work so more often than not I create scenes using models and props that feel like real life events but weren't. No matter how you look at it though, lifestyle photography is about telling stories.
In the grand tradition of turning lemons into lemonade, I thought I would share with you a quick story about how a less than desirable situation for me this weekend turned into a chance to improve my business and my approach.
Chinese Photographer Ying Yin’s was inspired to travel and see snow. While visiting Japan’s northernmost region during the peak of winter, her photo series “Wind of Okhotsk” looks like the end of the earth, with buildings isolated by the intense weather.
Throughout the course of long, mentally intensive days covering events from behind a camera, likely the last thing on your mind is maintaining good balanced posture or equal weight distribution. String multiple days like this together in a short period of time and you are unknowingly causing long-term havoc onto your body, especially as this repeats and builds over longer periods.
Netflix is using AI to follow viewer habits. The AI then chooses the best image or photograph to present and advertise movies that it thinks you would like. It makes sure the movies put their best foot forward and shows you the best side of it, based on your preferences. If you're an action movie type, it's going to choose photos of the movie that best shows this side of the movie. If you're one for romantic films, it'll show images that portray emotions that you'll experience watching the film.
Rania Matar moved to the US due to the Lebanese Civil War, pursuing photography after September 11 when she became interested in telling a different story from the Middle East. She grew up surrounded by the civil war in Lebanon, whereas her daughters are being raised in the United States. Despite growing up in a different country at a different time, she noticed a universality in being a young woman. This served as the inspiration behind her new series, featuring portraits of mothers and daughters from different cultures.
Russell James has quite firmly held the position of official backstage photographer at the Victoria’s Secret shows for 22 years – since the first in 1995. Now, he’s written a book about the experience.
This year has been marked by a single hashtag: #MeToo. From Hollywood to the Oval Office, it seems that accusers are finding their voices and taking a stand for themselves and countless others who haven’t been able to speak out. Naturally, awareness of sexual harassment is coming to light in all industries, and the photography industry is no different.
Photographer and filmmaker Mathieu Stern took to the streets of Paris to see what shots he could produce using three different vintage lenses, creating various different bokeh effects.
